The present invention relates generally to streaming music over a wireless connection, and more particularly to streaming music over a wireless connection between two handheld video game devices.
Handheld video game devices provide a convenient platform for enjoyment of video game play by many. The small form factor allows for easy transport of the video game device, and for comfortable play in a wide range of environments, including those environments which may be unsuitable for video game play on console or large arcade-type devices.
Handheld game devices may also have wireless communication capability. The wireless communication capability may be convenient so as to allow a user of one device to be able to provide game programs, for example, to a handheld device of another user.
Some game programs, however, may utilize large amounts of data. For example, songs or other audio information may be provided by a game, either as background audio or as part of game play, and the songs or other audio information often may require large amounts of data, even in compressed form. Transfer of large amounts of data, however, from a provider handheld device to a recipient handheld device prior to game play may unduly delay commencement and enjoyment of the game. Moreover, storing of large quantities of transferred data by the recipient handheld device may unduly tax or exceed memory capacity of the recipient handheld device. In addition, a handheld device may face difficulties in timely processing of game play instructions while substantially simultaneously processing large amounts of data, such as audio information of songs, even if the handheld device includes specialized capability to process such audio information.